Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands holidays

Remote, spectacular and utterly unique, the Galápagos Islands are a ‘once in a lifetime’ destination for anyone interested in the natural world. The wonderfully diverse wildlife and dramatic volcanic landscapes exceed expectations, exciting even the most well-travelled visitors. The total lack of fear displayed by the birds and reptiles enables visitors to the Galápagos to see and study nature close up in this unique environment.

In the 16th Century, Spanish seafarers named the islands, “Las Encantadas”; the ‘enchanted or bewitched islands’, as frequent mists seemed to make the islands appear and disappear! Now, the islands are officially named the “Archipielago de Colon”, though more famously known as the Galápagos (Spanish for tortoises). This name was given by a Flemish cartographer, Abraham Ortelius who was inspired by the resident giant tortoises.

However, Charles Darwin is undoubtedly the most famous visitor to Galápagos, and though his stay was brief, just five weeks, his discoveries here inspired his revolutionary theory on the evolution of species. In 1859, Darwin’s ‘The Origin of the Species’ caused major controversy, though earned him the recognition as the man who provided a foundation for the entire structure of modern biology and changed the way man viewed himself and the Natural World.